Dependency
by HiddenKindness
Summary: Kataang, oneshot. Four years after the final episode. Toph once again finds her way of seeing very useful. One of the first fanfictions I ever did.
1. Chapter 1

Katara emerged from the tent she shared with Aang. She had left him sleeping peacefully. This was the first time in a long while she had woken up before him. The wonderful morning sun had just reached the horizon, making the sky appear like it was ablaze. She seemed restless this morning and couldn't sleep throughout the night. She didn't tell Aang; he would have stayed awake with her, and she didn't want him to lose sleep as well.

She decided to do her daily yoga stretches. A voice made her jump. "Katara." It was only Toph, who was stood behind her with her arms folded. Her face was happy yet still somewhat stern. "You scared me." Said Katara, smiling in relief. Toph began tapping her foot lightly, which Katara thought it unusual, as often when Toph tapped her feet, she would be doing her earthbending. Katara waited for the ground to respond to the tapping, but nothing did. It seemed Toph was tapping her foot for the same reason anyone else would: to show annoyance. "What's wrong?" Asked Katara curiously. Toph smiled slightly.

"You don't know?" She said.

"Know what Toph?" Asked Katara, intrigued.

"Why you can't sleep well lately." Toph replied, as an innocent smile spread across her face. Katara seemed confused. Toph certainly knew something she didn't. She shrugged, gesturing for Toph to tell her. Toph stopped tapping her foot and came closer to Katara. She unfolded her arms, and, leaning close, whispered into her ear. "You're pregnant." Katara was immediately shocked. She looked over at her and Aang's tent, then back at Toph. She struggled to say anything. "But…how do you know?" She asked worryingly. Toph reached out a hand and put it on Katara's currently flat stomach. She smiled at Katara. "If I can tell whether Sokka has toe jam then I can certainly tell whether you're pregnant!" Toph's small joke about Sokka refused to reach Katara. She instead questioned Toph's opinion in disbelief. "But there could be other reasons why I can't sleep. It could be that we're sleeping in tents while we travel to the Fire Nation." Toph shook her head.

"I know what I can feel." She said. "Being the best earthbender in the world can be useful for these sorts of situations. I can just feel it about you. A second heartbeat…" Toph said, smiling once again. Katara looked back at her tent once again. Aang would be awake soon. "I have to go. I have to get a second opinion." She ran over to Appa, who had heard the conversation and stood up, rearing to go. Toph didn't understand. "Go where?" She asked.

"To Aunt Wu, in the Earth Kingdom. We met her before you joined the group. She'll be able to give me a definite answer." Katara said, careful not to wake the others. She climbed onto Appa's head. Before leaving she said one last thing to Toph. "Don't tell Aang." And with that and a quiet "Yip yip", Appa lifted himself from the group and up into the skies.

A few seconds later Aang emerged from their tent and stretched. "Morning Toph. Where's Katara? I thought I heard Appa take off." Toph smiled at Aang as he approached her. He scratched his bare chest a little and waited for an answer. "Who? I don't know anything." Toph babbled. Aang smiled kindly. "Come on Toph. Don't lie to me." Toph lowered her head, nudging a stone embedded in the ground with her toe. She sighed. "Katara took Appa and went to see someone called Aunt Wu." She whispered. Aang stroked the back of his head.

"Aunt Wu? I wonder what Katara's gone to see her for." Aang asked himself softly. Toph shrugged and bounded off in the direction of where she'd stored her stuff. "Don't ask me!" She shouted behind her. Aang rolled his eyes and picked up his staff from the ground. He wiped the light dust off of it and opened his glider, much to the surprise of Toph. "And where are you going?" She asked in the most whining voice she could manage.

"I'm going to find Katara." Aang said concentrating on his open glider mechanism.

"But you'll never catch up to Appa at the speed he flies..." Toph said.

"No, but maybe I'll find her while she's still with Aunt Wu." Aang smiled. He took a short run up and flew away in the direction of where Katara and Appa had gone. Toph facepalmed, ashamed with herself.

A few hours later, Katara had arrived at the Earth Kingdom village where Aunt Wu lived. She let Appa in one of the surrounding fields to rest whilst she got her reading. As she entered the building someone instantly recognised her. "Katara! I have seen you in four years!" Katara smiled. It was Aunt Wu. She appeared frailer since her last visit.

Katara nodded kindly and followed Aunt Wu into her back room where she did the readings. As they both sat around the crackling fire, Aunt Wu turned to Katara. "I know why you're here." Katara didn't say a word, and continued to stare into the flames. Aunt Wu continued. "Why do you come to me?" She asked.

"Because your readings bring me comfort." Katara whispered.

"I don't know why they should. Last time you were here you all proved me wrong…the incident with the volcano?" Said Aunt Wu. Katara smiled, remembering her younger self. "I suppose I need a second opinion. Toph said she could feel it, but I just wanted to be sure." Katara said, now looking in the direction of Aunt Wu, who nodded.

"Your friend was right. You are pregnant…with Aang's baby, I presume?" Katara nodded. "But, how did you know it's Aang's?" Asked Katara. Aunt Wu smiled happily. "I don't need powers to know how much you love each other." She whispered. The crackling of the fire had died down. Katara smiled. Aunt Wu was right. She stood up, thanked the elderly woman and left the building. She greeted Appa, who let out a happy noise when he saw his master. Aang landed on the ground and closed his glider. He ran up to Katara and hugged her tightly. "What did you want from Aunt Wu?" He asked once he released her from his loving embrace. Toph must have told him. She sighed in annoyance. "What did Toph say?" She asked, rolling her eyes.

"Just that you'd come here. Nothing else." Aang replied. Katara breathed a small sigh of relief. "So, what did you ask her?" Repeated Aang. Katara hesitated. She didn't want to tell him yet. "Errr…" She swallowed. "I just wanted to ask Aunt Wu whether I should eat a papaya today." Said Katara. Aang chuckled.

"You and your papayas!" He said, recalling the last time they'd encountered Wu several years ago. "Seems a long way to go just to ask that, though."

"Yeah, I suppose." Katara replied nervously. The pair mounted Appa and returned to where they'd set up camp. During the journey home Katara seemed distant and unresponsive, wich caught Aang's attention. He decided to give her her space to take her time to tell him, if she chose to. Seeing the love of his life in emotional pain hurt him so.

By now everyone was awake and enjoying a late lunch. Katara held Aang's arm as he went to get some food. He turned. "Aang, can we talk for a minute?" She asked.

"Sure." He replied. She led him into the field across from the camp, much to the disbelief of the others. "I wonder what they're talking about." Asked Sokka. Toph's eyes shifted from left to right. "Don't look at me!" She babbled. The group watched as Katara was talking to Aang. They were too far away to hear their conversation. Then they watched as Aang picked up and hugged her tightly. They kissed and stood close as the sun shone high in the sky. "Probably found us some food for once." Said Sokka.


	2. Chapter 2

A mixed reception

**This story follows on from 'Dependency'.**

Aang was on cloud nine. Words couldn't express his excitement. Katara had seen him care for little Tom-Tom for a few hours when he wandered from his parents years ago, and at that moment she had known that if ever the opportunity arose, he would make a great father, not that she ever really expected at that time that he'd be the father of hers. Despite this, she was as excited as him.

They said nothing for the next few minutes. They didn't have to. They just stood, happily, in each other's arms, whilst the others looking on from the campsite discussed what Aang and Katara could be so happy about. "Aang's probably convinced Katara to join him in his job of being a vegetarian." Sokka joked. Suki giggled in response. Toph didn't join in. She just sat, perched on an old tree stump smiling quietly to herself, oblivious to Sokka and Suki's jokes. "Or…or found a leaf in the shape of a love heart!" Suki sniggered. She turned to Sokka. "Oh Aang! Thank you for this leaf!" She imitated.

"You're welcome Katara! If I love you I'll always give you a leaf!" Sokka laughed loudly. Toph had had enough. "You don't know what you're on about!" She shouted in annoyance. "They have a real reason to be so happy, so shut up about it." She continued, frowning at their frankly ridiculous theory. Sokka and Suki stopped in their tracks. Sokka stood up quickly, and approached Toph, who had since gone back to sitting on the tree stump. He lost all sense of laughter. "What Toph? Do you know what they're saying?" He bellowed in an intimidating tone.

"It's their choice when and how to tell you, or even if they tell you at all. It's not my news to tell." She said sternly, refusing to bow to to Sokka's authority. Sokka was about to reply angrily when Toph stamped her foot. Several shards of earth erupted from the ground and encased her within. "FINE!" Shouted Sokka, attempting to get her attention. There was no reply. Suki just looked on and didn't get involved. She'd learnt from experience it was best not to.

Aang and Katara had heard the commotion and walked back to the campsite hand in hand, occasionally swinging them back and forth. "What's going on guys?" Asked Aang inquisitively, still clutching Katara's hand. Suki looked at her feet. Toph didn't answer from her stone tent. It was left to Sokka to explain. "Toph won't tell us why you're so happy." Said Sokka. Aang and Katara looked at each other nervously. "I'll tell Sokka. You tell Suki…in private." Said Katara. Aang nodded in silent agreement.

As Aang took Suki a few hundred yards away from the campsite, Katara was left to tell Sokka. "Toph was right not to tell you, because I wanted to." She said quietly. She sighed, all the while Sokka grew more irritated. "Come on Katara. What news is so big you can't even tell your own brother?" He bellowed. Katara nodded, struggling to get her words out.

"I…I…" she whispered, looking down at her feet.

"Spit it out!" Sokka yelled.

"I'm pregnant." Whispered Katara. Sokka's face suddenly drained of colour. He pushed away Katara forcefully and turned his back on her. He rubbed the back of his head quickly. At that moment Suki powered back into the campsite, closely followed by a smiling Aang, and engulfed Katara in a hug. "It's great news Katara! Congratulations!" Suki laughed happily. She let Katara go and grabbed Sokka. "Isn't it great? You're gonna be an uncle!" She cried. Sokka continued to look down. "Yeah…great." He whispered.

Toph had emerged from her stone tent and had rushed to give Katara and Aang a hug. Sokka had walked away from the camp. Aang went to follow him but Katara stopped him. "Let me talk to him." She said softly.

Sokka finally stopped walking a few hundred metres away from the camp. He threw his sword towards a tree, where it embedded itself into the trunk of it. He yanked it out roughly just as Katara caught him with him. He didn't look at her. "Sokka, I-" she whispered.

"What Katara, what?" He shouted in annoyance. Katara lost her patience without warning.

"What is your problem Sokka?" He shouted.

"How could you do this to me Katara?" He said, now calmer than before.

"Do what?" said Katara.

"Not tell me first." He explained, now turning to his sister. She sighed deeply.

"I only found out myself this morning." She said softly, taking Sokka's hand. "Toph told me. I went to see Aunt Wu for a second opinion. Aang followed me and then I told him in the field. You saw me. It wasn't my choice not to tell you first." She murmured. Sokka didn't say anything, causing Katara to continue. "Come on Sokka. You're my brother. Without your support I don't know what I'd do." Sokka nodded.

"…Then I'm happy for you." He said quietly. Katara hugged him tightly.

As they wandered back into the camp Aang approached Sokka with a nervous smile. Without a moment's thought Sokka grabbed Aang in a headlock and rubbed his head with his fist. "Congrats Twinkle Toes." Sokka said, then released Aang from his grip.


End file.
